posted 10-27-2009 09:46 AM
The Midlands Spaceflight Society is fairly small and based in the Midlands area of the UK. We have recently acquired Helen Sharman as an Honourary Member. We would like to attract more people with an interest in spaceflight. Besides our UK contingent we already have a few members in the US.

Our annual subscription is just £10 ($16) which entitles you to membership and our bi-monthly magazine,"CapCom".

posted 01-10-2010 12:27 PM
We celebrate our 20th anniversary in September of this year. Hopefully, we aim to have some events to mark our 'birthday'. Why not join in by becoming a member? You would be most welcome.

TykeanautMember

Posts: 1704From: Worcestershire, England, UK.Registered: Apr 2008

posted 08-13-2010 01:13 PM
The Midlands Spaceflight Society in the UK celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. I am trying to organise a possible lecture at Leicester University with ex-shuttle astronaut Jeffrey Hoffmann who I have to contact again in September. The event would probably happen in early December. It could be free or at most I would only expect a nominal fee of maybe £10 or £20.

Would anyone interested please let me know by e-mail so that I can gauge interest and convey this to him next time I contact him?

Many thanks.

TykeanautMember

Posts: 1704From: Worcestershire, England, UK.Registered: Apr 2008

posted 08-22-2010 08:21 AM
Would anyone else who is interested please contact me ASAP? Thanks very much, your support would be very much appreciated.

TykeanautMember

Posts: 1704From: Worcestershire, England, UK.Registered: Apr 2008

posted 11-27-2010 03:14 PM

The MSS Shop

+++ NEW +++

The Apollo 13 postal cover is now available to mark the 40th anniversary. Only 10 numbered copies have been made and they are priced at £1.20 each. A small number of the previous Apollo 8-12 40th anniversary covers are still available. All the Apollo Moon missions will be marked with similar covers to make a complete set. In accordance with history there will be a short pause before the Apollo 14 cover is ready.

The MSS emblem is available on a pin badge. The round badge is 38mm (1.5") across with a safety-pin type fixing. Wear it with pride and look out for other MSS members. Badges are £1 each including postage, or a mere 50p each if I can place it directly in your hand.

Press Kits - most space missions have a press kit posted on the internet. MSS can print off a copy for you. Prices depend on whether it is in black-and-white or colour and loose-leaf or bound.

The latest mission by space shuttle Discovery to the ISS was STS-131, a supply run with Leonardo. Recent Space Shuttle missions include STS-130 with the Tranquility module, STS-129 “Stocking the Station” and the latest ISS Expedition 23/24 “Science for Six” press kit.

CD or disk versions are cheaper than paper versions. All the press kits are Adobe Acrobat .pdf documents and can be supplied on a 3.5" disk (Yes! I still have some!) if the document is small, or on a CD which will hold several or even a DVD which hold absolutely loads. The Acrobat reader software can be supplied free if you need it.

Contact the shop for information on the kits we have available or if there is one you want.

Loan Library

NASA STS-51B astronaut Don Lind spoke in Birmingham in October 2000. We have a recording for loan to MSS members thanks to Alan Marlow. Contact the MSS Shop to borrow this audio CD.

Make cheques and postal orders payable to Midland Spaceflight Society, please. Where prices do not include postage, either call and check, or add your best guess and any excess over actual cost will be refunded. Subscriptions, shop orders and loan requests go to the MSS Secretary: Dave Evetts, 124 Stanhope Road, Smethwick B67 6HP. Tel. 0121 429 8606 (evenings & weekends only) or e-mail mss.shop@midspace.org.uk.

posted 05-09-2011 02:41 PM
We have a venue for an informal meeting this Saturday afternoon 14 May between 2 and 5 p.m.

The venue is a little outside Birmingham. We are using the exhibition hall at the Smethwick Heritage Centre, High Street, Smethwick, West Midlands B66 3NJ. The Centre is the old keeper's lodge for Victoria Park.

We have access to a DVD player and large TV, tea and coffee.

The MSS shop will be there with all the products we can muster. Nick Deakin has offered to bring the far more extensive and varied SpaceBoosters trade stand as well. Bring some cash, bring your spares for swaps if you want.

Why not come along for a chat? Email me if you have any questions!

RobonautMember

Posts: 224From: Solihull, West Mids, EnglandRegistered: Mar 2002

posted 05-11-2011 05:11 PM
All being well, I will be coming to the meeting on Saturday with a few family members. I am looking forward to seeing a few old faces and maybe a new one or two as well.

RobonautMember

Posts: 224From: Solihull, West Mids, EnglandRegistered: Mar 2002

posted 05-14-2011 01:08 PM
Not long arrived home from the meeting. It was my first MSS meeting for a long time and I enjoyed chatting with everyone there. The meeting had no formal agenda but there was nothing wrong with that as we had a good time chatting about our space interests.

Nick's stand was full of many goodies and my daughter Alison added three space badges to her collection and I had a patch for ISS expedition 27. I am not a big collector of patches but I have some enjoyable memories of meeting several members of the crew and therefore considered it an appropriate item to add to my collection. A nice trigger for the memories.

The meeting was at the Smethwick Heritage Centre, which has a wonderful small museum. It is well worth a visit for anyone interested in 20th Century history with a bit before besides. Although it covers local Smethwick history many of the exhibits would be recognisable by people who lived anywhere in the UK over the past 100 years or so.

spacemanMember

Posts: 929From: Walsall, West Midlands, UKRegistered: Dec 2002

posted 05-15-2011 06:55 AM
An enjoyable first proper meeting of MSS for us. Dave pulled out all the stops in finding a great little venue, which hopefully we will use again in the not too distant future. The heritage centre backs out onto Victoria Park useful for public days for sun spot spotting and rocket launches. Dave you sort a date and we'll bring lots of water rockets and plenty of enthusiasm, Thanks to everybody for supporting attending and buying.

TykeanautMember

Posts: 1704From: Worcestershire, England, UK.Registered: Apr 2008

posted 05-15-2011 12:37 PM
Yes it was a really good day that made a pleasant change. Looking forward to another one sometime.

We also received a best wishes message from our Hon. Member Miss Helen Sharman OBE.

TykeanautMember

Posts: 1704From: Worcestershire, England, UK.Registered: Apr 2008

posted 11-06-2011 03:50 AM
Earlier this year I was able to secure a museum venue in Smethwick for a Saturday afternoon meeting. I would like to do it again before Christmas.

You can find the museum on Google Maps - look for Smethwick Heritage Centre Trust, High Street, Smethwick B66 3NJ.

How does 19th November sound for a get-together between 1.00 and 4.30pm?

We will have to pay for the room. £3 a head should cover it with tea and biscuits thrown in.

I would like a show of hands for interest. You can reply to midspace@hotmail.co.uk. Theme ideas for the day would be welcomed.

Old and new members very welcome!

Dave Evettssecretary/treasurer

TykeanautMember

Posts: 1704From: Worcestershire, England, UK.Registered: Apr 2008

posted 11-17-2011 07:10 AM
Venue now moved to "The Square Peg" (Wetherspoon's) on Corporation Street, Birmingham. Can we please have a show of hands to see if there is sufficient interest. Please either e-mail Dave or myself.

TykeanautMember

Posts: 1704From: Worcestershire, England, UK.Registered: Apr 2008

posted 11-18-2011 11:35 AM
Here's one for next year's diary. A space day is planned on 21st January, 9:30 to 4:30 at Droitwich Spa Library, Worcestershire.

Spaceboosters will be there along with an MSS stand and other exhibitors. Jerry Stone and Dave Shayler are also pencilled in for an appearance.

TykeanautMember

Posts: 1704From: Worcestershire, England, UK.Registered: Apr 2008

posted 01-06-2012 01:21 PM
The programme for Space Day 2012 at Droitwich Spa Library on 21 January has now been added to the Files section of the MSS forum.

There are exhibitor stands open from 9.30 to 4.30 and there will be talks by Dave Shayler of Astro Info Services at 11.30 - "At Home in Space" - and Jerry Stone of Spaceflight UK at 2.00 - "The Earth in Space".

There is also a sci-fi fancy dress competition for children with judging at 3.30.

TykeanautMember

Posts: 1704From: Worcestershire, England, UK.Registered: Apr 2008

posted 01-21-2012 04:05 PM
What a really enjoyable day!

Great to meet Gurbir Singh again who kindly signed his book for me (Yuri Gagarin in London and Manchester). Another treat was meeting David A. Hardy for the first time (what a pity I didn't take a book along to get signed!).

Also met Jerry Stone for the first time and got along to his talk in the afternoon. Heard a talk from our own society President and author Dave Shayler for the first time time too, very well presented, interesting and particularly motivating to the younger members of the audience too.

The usual and welcome suspects were there aswell. Somehow Nick Deakin (Spaceboosters) and Dave Evetts (Society Treasurer) always part me with my money though? A tough act from a Yorkshireman! Mind you, a fool and his money are easily parted I guess?

I may well now make a trip out Stratford-on-Avon (Shakespeare and all that) way to see the rocket club "Black Knights", another good chat and interesting stand. Thanks to all, especially the Library at Droitwich for a great event.

TykeanautMember

Posts: 1704From: Worcestershire, England, UK.Registered: Apr 2008

posted 01-23-2012 04:00 AM
I should add that this event was organised with the BIS West Midlands Group who intend to initially hold four events per year. So many thanks to them too!

GurbirMember

Posts: 35From: UKRegistered: Oct 2010

posted 01-24-2012 12:43 PM
It was great to see you Chris and I agree. I expected it to be a fun day but it turned out to be fabulous. A great bunch of organisers.

The best bit is seeing people I hadn't seen for a long time and in a few cases - seeing them for the first time.

There is much more in the pipeline. It looks as if 2012 will be even more packed than 2011.

spacemanMember

Posts: 929From: Walsall, West Midlands, UKRegistered: Dec 2002

posted 01-24-2012 03:12 PM
A great day and it will take some beating. Really good venue right in the middle of town and by all accounts more than 1500 people through the door on the day. I took a series of photos as the stands were being set up please see here.

Jerry Stone and the MSS stand feature on the Worcester News website too!

What a great weekend to follow 'Stargazing Live.'

TykeanautMember

Posts: 1704From: Worcestershire, England, UK.Registered: Apr 2008

posted 04-21-2013 02:53 AM
Wanted: Any articles/contributions for our bi-monthy edition of CapCom would be most welcome. You don't have to be a member or become a member, although you would obviously be most welcome!